1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to exercise machines, and in particular, exercise machines for exercising the abdominal muscles of the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a number of exercise machines that workout the abdominal muscles. Virtually all, however, are simple variations on the traditional sit-ups that can be performed on a floor or other flat surface. Several provide support surfaces for the lower back, upper back, or neck, and several provide hand levers that the user can operate to assist him or her in initiating or completing a sit-up or abdominal crunch exercise.
Each of these exercise machines, however, start the user off with the user's torso in either a horizontal or slightly inclined orientation. Thus, the exercise motion in these devices is at most limited to the range of a traditional sit-up or less, but certainly not a greater range than a traditional sit-up. The current thinking by leading health instructors regarding sit-ups, however, is that after a certain angle, gravity is no longer working very much against the participant in the traditional sit-up. That is, from the floor up to an angle of about 45°, the effect of gravity on the participant's torso is causing the abdominal muscles to work hard, but beyond 45°, the effect of gravity diminishes quickly, and the resultant benefit of the sit-up also diminishes. In fact, it is not uncommon for participants to actually use the upper portion of a traditional sit-up as an opportunity to rest.
What was needed was an abdominal muscle exercise machine that goes beyond the range of a traditional sit-up. Just as the effects of gravity are greatest on a participant's abdominal muscles when the participant's back is level with a horizontal up to when the participant's back is at an angle of about 45°, the effects of gravity are also very significant when that participant's back is at an angle of about −45° as well. What is needed then is an abdominal muscle exercise machine that operates from this negative incline of about −45° or thereabout to about 45° or thereabout and require that participant to perform sit-ups throughout this range.
Different participants have different abilities in performing such a extended sit-up. The extent to which the back of a participant can be flexed in this negative inclined position and then be lifted by the participant's abdominal muscles through this range of motion varies dramatically from participant to participant. Thus, what is also needed is an exercise machine in which the participant can use other muscle groups to assist in performing this abdominal “extension and crunch” exercise, such as using a handlebar or the like.